Internet Evolution: Fear of Terrorism Only?

Interesting report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project called “The Future of the Internet” Curiously, publications such as PCWorld have pulled out only one primary area of the report and are focused on the cyberattack prediction only:

“According to a survey entitled, “The Future of the Internet” recently released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, American’s growing dependence on the Internet is making it a flashing electronic target for terrorists.”

This is only one likely scenario but we’d better accelerate our efforts and funding on combating cyberterrorism or other smart leaders will quit the fight. Most agree that America’s internet infrastructure is too open and besides…we can’t even fully protect our borders!  How can we truly protect the thousands and thousands of miles of fiber and other internet infrastructure, let alone the insecurity of heterogeneous systems where most people use the same operating system?  I’ve got more questions than answers — and I believe it is imperative to protect an infrastructure upon which more and more of our economy and communication depends — but let’s be pragmatic about it.

Where’s the good news in the Pew report?
Here’s just one other prediction abstract from the same study that optimistically points to a brighter possibility for a richer, diverse information experience in the home (and opportunity for those participating in providing services to consumers): “By 2014, all media, including audio, video, print, and voice, will stream in and out of the home or office via the internet. Computers that coordinate and control video games, audio, and video will become the centerpiece of the living room and will link to networked devices around the household, replacing the television’s central place in the home.”

I believe and am optimistic about our future on the internet as evidenced by my first post, “Video games and the internet bubble. Is it time for dot com…the sequel?.” We have to be smart and prudent about protecting ourselves but I also believe that too many in the media are putting a “the sky is falling” spin on everything — which I believe PCWorld and others are doing with this relatively benign report from Pew.